CPI wants left parties to contest assembly elections in Jharkhand together

Senior CPI leader A B Bardhan today appealed to all Left parties to jointly contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand. "It's time the CPI(M), the Forward Block, the Marxist Coordination Committee and CPI(ML-Liberation), besides the CPI contest the elections in alliance to provide an alternative government that will be clean and corruption-free in Jharkhand," Bardhan said at a press conference here. "The BJP formed governments under Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda. The JMM, the Congress, the RJD and the JD(U) have been in power. In between, Madhu Koda had also been the Chief Minister. But no one could give a stable, corruption-free and good government," alleged the veteran Left leader.

"It's a challenge for the Left parties to stop the communal forces who have come to power in the country and are trying to come to power in Jharkhand too. So my appeal to all Left parties is to fight the elections in alliance," he said. Stating that the state has enormous mineral wealth but "corrupt and bad governance" had "hindered" Jharkhand's development, Bardhan claimed if the Left alternative came to power after the next Assembly elections it "will bring good days for Jharkhand".

"The CPI is prepared to contest 20 to 25 seats, but we can give details on seat sharing in the beginning of September after talks with the Left parties... tomorrow the Left parties will discuss about poll related matters," he added.
Extending support to the 72-hour hunger strike called by the Kishan Sabha from September 1, Bardhan said, "This will be a kind of election campaign." Assembly elections in Jharkhand are due later this year. Commenting on political leaders joining the BJP, another senior CPI leader Atul Anjan alleged, "The BJP is inviting corrupt leaders of other parties into its fold to make it a warehouse of corrupt leaders."